Missteps with Mold

Building professionals should follow a thorough mold and IAQ investigative protocol when they tackle mold remediation cases.

In the summer of 2001, a First Nation community north of Lake Superior in Ontario, Canada, declared a state of emergency due to mold problems that were perceived to be life threatening. The community consists of about 84 single-family homes, three duplexes, and one fourplex.The First Nation had become concerned about mold in houses in early February. In response, the Ojibway tribe hired a consultant to inspect 13 units and conduct air sampling in 4 of them. As a result, those four units were evacuated.That consultant recommended further air sampling and investigation. This sampling was conducted by local health service providers. Based on these results, the Chief and Council decided to evacuate approximately 200 people from 45 homes. A private engineering firm’s initial report suggested that 69 buildings be replaced and 19 repaired for an estimated cost of CAN $8 million. In any evacuation crisis, particularly in an isolated community, housing is at a premium. To deal with this crisis, evacuated families were housed with other families in the community, in local motels, and in replacement trailers. Overcrowding in First Nation communities is a common problem, and it contributes to an overload of ...